The Unsolved Mystery
by BlazingFire18
Summary: What is love? - to me,it's a MYSTERY. Royai fans check it out! :D
1. Chapter 1

[It's my first fanfic ever. So,I may just suck! If so,please be kind enough to forgive me. This chapter may seem weird or make no sense but you'll understand later that it was necessary to make readers understand the depth of these two's relationship. Things will gradually get interesting so please be patient...Love u all! ]

The atmosphere was simply horrible----filled with cries of pain, fear and helplessness, eyes streaming with water depicting dreadful plea. But he was helpless. He had to bear the pain and do the annihilation. It was heartbreaking. His dreams have shattered. He wanted a peaceful nation and dreamed of taking it to a tier of ultimate prosperity……`Huh! Who knew I would be one of them taking part in clashes that would destroy the unity of the country men for good!'….his flames were really powerful, he knew no one could survive, at least not such helpless people like the Ishvalans. Then there was a face----a sweet face but now filled with sorrow, pain and fear and above all----damp with tears. He hated this! No,no,no………….

Everything vanished. Suddenly he couldn't understand what was happening. Everything was pitch dark. Slowly his vision adjusted and things came to view---it was his bedroom. `It was a dream then!' He slowly rested his wrist on his forehead. It was all sweaty. He still remembered his dream clearly and he was still clutching his pillow in a tight grip. He had been having this dream for seven years, since his return from the battlefield. He had given up living, but there were people to make him live. And then he had decided that he would fulfill his promise that he had once made to his sensei …This reminded him of that sweet face. He was never able to solve the mystery why that part of his dream hurt him the most always. This was the only mystery that the intelligent Roy Mustang was still unable to solve. Riza Hawkeye—the bravest woman he had ever seen. And also the only person he was sure would never leave his side as long as he was on the right track…..Roy's thoughts wandered back and forth. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

* * * * *

Roy put down the paper and yawned.

Riza gave him a suspicious look.

Roy said,`What?'

Riza was arranging the files in the cabinet. She didn't look back but calmly asked,`Another night at Madame Christmas' bar?'

Roy smiled,`You'd know if I was there!'

Riza smiled too,`Then you shouldn't be lazy and start your work'

Roy didn't say anything.

Riza had finished arranging the files and turned to face the colonel. She was surprised to see the colonel looking at her though she didn't express it. The colonel was acting strange---Riza thought. But she didn't express her worries either and warned her boss to do his job.

Roy sighed and took the pen but the pen didn't touch the paper he was examining. He dropped it again.

This time Riza was really worried and took two steps forward ---`Are you alright,sir?'

Roy looked up and nodded. He knew Riza wasn't convinced. But he wasn't sure if he should tell her why he was so worked up. It was the dream that didn't let him sleep at night. And it was Riza's own tear soaked face that didn't let him forget the dream. He wasn't sure if it would be right to remind her of that horrible war and also hesitated because he didn't want her to know that somehow it was her tear soaked face that hurt him the most. He didn't want to hurt her,never.

Riza was looking at Roy's face intently and something told her that she should leave the man alone for some time. Riza silently walked out of the room. 'It was amazing'---Riza thought. ' He never needs to tell me but I know if I should leave him alone or not.'

Riza knew how lonely that man was.

He never showed it but deep in his heart he cared for the persons near him. And Riza respected him for the man he was.

'You look worried',Riza's chain of thought was interrupted at the voice of Havoc.

'No,it's nothing',she replied .

'Something wrong with colonel? He seems quieter today',Havoc said

All the subordinates dearly cared for Roy and tension was clear in Havoc's voice.

'Is it because of that Scar case?',Havoc asked

'I don't think so',Riza said.

'I think it's something else that he himself needs to deal with,alone.'

Havoc didn't understand what she meant but didn't say anything. He knew that this two had a greater relation based on faith and understanding. And there were some things that only this two understood.

* * * * *


	2. Chapter 2

Roy tried to focus on work. But it didn't help. He had been through a lot of pressure lately and he shouldn't be sidetracked like this. But he couldn't but think about it. Why did she mean so much? He tried to convince himself that she was his closest subordinate and also the only daughter of his late sensei—that was the reason. But he himself knew that it was false.....It was something that was deep within him for the last few years and he had lost the strength to deny it any longer. It was something new. But what was it?

'Focus Roy,focus on work,or else you'll miss your date with Vanessa',Roy told himself. But all on a sudden he started to wish it wasn't Vanessa whom he was gonna take to a date. He shook his head and finally started doing the paperwork....

* * * * *

It was lunch time. Roy completed his work, he had to, because he didn't wanna be scolded by his lieutenant. His lips widened in a smile. She was so caring! He was suddenly feeling happy, he was gonna meet her at lunch table. He then decided to tell her about his dream, may be she would understand how much he cared for her. And to his surprise, he was looking forward to meeting her rather excitedly! What was happening to him? He didn't know...

Roy took his tray. He intentionally took a bit more food than the usual. It would give him some more time to spend at the lunch table.

His eyes searched for certain blonde hair and careful eyes. 'Ah, there she is!' Roy took a step forward and suddenly came to a halt.

'Who is that man with her?', he thought. Riza Hawkeye was sitting with a man with bronze colored hair whose face Roy couldn't see. A new emotion bubbled up in his blood. He didn't want her to be with anyone else. But....she was looking happy. A lot happy.

A cloud of sadness covered his mind's sky all on a sudden and he returned to his office. The food server was surprised as Colonel Mustang's food was returned untouched.

* * * * *

Roy Mustang sat silently. He was trying to figure things out. What was this sudden change in him? What was this new feeling? He had always cared for Riza very very much, more than his own life. But now he felt like he was gonna lose her. 'Stop it!', he told himself. He was getting mad at his own thoughts. Riza was nothing but a good friend, nothing would change that. There was no point of losing her......but,why did it hurt so much to see her with another man?

A new question arose in Roy's mind. He didn't care about it till now. Who was that man anyway? There was no military's dog in the East Headquarter with bronze hair. Moreover, he was in charge of the East HQ. If there was any new recruit, he should of course know it. But the man wasn't wearing military uniform either. Roy didn't look carefully but his intelligent eyes didn't miss that he was a civilian. It wasn't like all the military officers wore same uniforms. Many were wearing civil dresses especially those who work as spies. But it's the attitude that expresses that that man was civilian. He was relaxed in a way that a military officer couldn't,even if he tried.

There was a mild knock on the door. Momentarily Roy knew who it was. His heart suddenly started to beat faster. The door opened and Riza Hawkeye entered the room. She closed the door and crossed the room. Finally she stood before her boss' table. Roy felt a sting in his heart. He didn't say anything

'You look awfully cheerful',Riza said. **

Roy looked up at her. He could see that she was worried. He gave her a weak smile. 'It's nothing',he finally said.

Riza frowned. The Colonel was hiding something!!

'If you don't want to tell me, then don't. But you don't have to try so hard to hide from me Colonel!'

Roy was astonished. Could she guess the reason why he was upset? No,she couldn't possibly have any idea.

'I need one day off',Riza said.

Roy was more astonished this time. He needed some time to answer.

'You're going on holiday?',he finally asked.

'One day only. I'm sure I have plenty of CL',Riza said.

Roy was surprised because Riza never took any leave. She followed him everywhere. Even to hell!

Roy decided to let go. ' OK'

Riza then said,'Today I've met a friend of mine. I didn't even know he was alive. I want to show him around.'

Roy guessed whom she was referring to. So,he asked,'The bronze haired man?'

Riza was surprised hearing that. ' How do you know?'

Roy felt another sting in his heart. 'Well,I saw you two having lunch.'

Riza moved towards the door and beckoned someone. The bronze haired man entered the room. He had quite a handsome face.

'You probably don't know me but I know you quite well,Colonel Mustang. I'm Ken Benner',the young man said.

Roy felt suspicious. There was something fishy about the man. He looked at Riza but she obviously didn't feel anything suspicious because she had a beautiful smile on her face.

'I was a sniper in the Ishval battlefield. I worked along with Riza though I wasn't as good as her.',he smiled at Riza after completing his speech.

Now Roy understood what he meant by knowing him.

' Ken had broken down completely after the war and I didn't even know he was alive. It was a real surprise to find him here today. Moreover, he has come to meet me. He went to the North and there heard that I worked for you. And here he is! So,I decided to take one day off and show him around. He lives in a very distant village and so it's a new experience for him.'

Roy felt the pain increase. Probably she liked that man....She was seeming so happy to see him...

'Colonel?' Riza asked in an alarmed voice. 'Aren't you feeling well today? Maybe I should cancel my leave.'

'No,no,that's not necessary. Do enjoy your time.' Roy said.

Riza gave him a smile and said,'Thanks. But please don't be lazy when I'm not around. And don't forget to take your meal timely,okay?'...........Roy couldn't but smiled. She was so tender!

Roy just nodded.

Riza and Ken came out of the room. A young officer was saying something but Riza wasn't paying attention. She hoped Colonel would see it. She hoped so badly!! She had no other way. 'I have to do it...to save the man I love',she thought. She was worried,really worried. And scared.

* * * * *

[**Roy once said that to Riza in the cafeteria when Riza was very worried because of pride(I'm talking about the manga)]


	3. Chapter 3

[Here the names of the Homunculi are based on the manga, not the first FMA anime]

It was dark in the underground. The only source of light was the gigantic machine that stood in the middle of this vast room. It illuminated a kind of light that made the room appear more mysterious.

Three shadows could be seen only. They were looking at a certain direction-towards the machine.

'So,that Flame Alchemist is causing some problems, I see',the man sitting on that machine like thing said.

'Father,he killed Lust. Do you think it's wise to keep him alive? He's only creating trouble for us.', a homunculus named Envy said.

'I think we better keep him alive. His friend Hughes died and he got agitated. If he dies now,it'll create suspicion.',Wrath aka Bradley said,the Fuhrer of the country.

'Are you saying you're afraid?',Envy said rather angrily.

'No, I'm not afraid. I'm saying this because it'll be beneficial for us.', Wrath replied

'Wrath, what are you planning exactly?', the man whom they were calling Father, asked.

'Father, seems like this Mustang man isn't that strong from the inside as he seems to be. He's still soft inside. I don't quite understand how that could be possible after the war, but yes,he still cares for the lives of the people near him. The death of Hughes hit him hard but it seems he was able to control himself. And it also seems like his subordinate Hawkeye tamed his wild heart back then. Which makes me feel – if we can take Hawkeye in our control, we may find a way to use Mustang the way we wish.' A meaningful smirk crossed his face.

'Do you think it will work? The woman is just a subordinate.', Envy said. Much controlled right now.

'Envy, don't you still understand that humans are not that rational! They don't care about anything more than their loved ones. They are not just smart enough.'

'Ok, Wrath, I'm giving you the duty. Clear this mess up quickly.', the golden haired Father said.

'As you wish Father', Wrath said.

It was raining slightly. Around 9-10 people were standing in that rain. Two or three of them had umbrellas, the others didn't. Sadness was clear in their faces...He was gone... He used to be a lively person after all. At least until the war sucked away all the life in him...

All of them were looking at the marble tombstone which read - 'Ken Benner, died at the age of 22'

Riza's sharp memory was continuously reminding her that the person walking beside her could never be the same Ken Benner. Because she herself was present at his funeral! That young lad was too soft to endure the pain that he brought along from the battlefield and died two or three weeks after that. Riza knew very well that someone was impersonating her dead friend but she acted like she didn't know. Because whoever it was acting as her friend, was unaware that she knew the truth and it was a golden chance to know the reason why that person was doing this. This anonymous surely had some motive to accomplish and it had to do something with Colonel. So, she wanted to keep this man away from Colonel and Colonel would be safe at the HQ, after all he knew how to take care of himself...

This brought back another memory. The memory in which she was sitting on a bench outside the Rockbell house when she and Colonel went to invite Edward Elric for the state alchemist test. Then a little girl named Winry Rockbell came and sat beside her. The girl said,'I don't like military'. Young Riza said,'I also don't like it'. Winry was surprised to hear the answer and asked,'But you're working for the military. If you don't like it then why are you doing this job?' 'Because there is someone I wish to protect',she replied in a determined voice...Yes,she wanted to protect him from all the dangers. Because without him life would be meaningless for her. And here she is, playing with her own life, for the sake of the man she loved. 'Please be safe, Colonel',she wished only this.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the same underground room with the same dimly lit surroundings. The only change was that the number of shadows had decreased in two. The heavy body structure of Bradley aka Wrath and the huge silhouette of Gluttony could be seen from the distant but the shadow of Envy wasn't there that day. Envy was doing the job Wrath had appointed him to.

'I didn't think that Hawkeye girl was this stupid. She was better than the normal humans. She at least complains less than the others.' Wrath said. He was even looking like he was sad! But he couldn't be sad,ever. The only emotion that dwelt in his heart was anger...'Well,she has made the job easier for us and happily stepped into our trap.' he added.

'Is Envy gonna bring her here? Can I eat her?' Gluttony asked and he was already licking his lower lip as he liked female preys better than the males.

'Wrath,do you really think it's time to take the risk and bring the girl here?', the blond haired Father asked.

'No,Father,I don't think the girl is of that much importance that we should take the risk of revealing our secret den.' Wrath replied.

The Father looked satisfied at the answer. 'So,what's your plan then?', he playfully asked. As if a father who knew his son knew how to count but still wanted to test him.

'Envy is going to take care of her and I've reminded him not to spill anything that would give away any important information. And I have also told him not to harm the girl,we need to keep her alive. No mistake can be made. That Hawkeye girl is very intelligent and rather skeptical. If she starts doubting,it'd become hard for us. We can't let her get suspicious before we really take her captive. Once we take her hostage,she wouldn't utter a word. But until then,may be she would talk freely with her old friend. That would be a bonus point for us. Although our main perspective is the Flame Alchemist. I know what his weakness is and we are gonna hit directly at his weak spot.'

As Wrath finished briefing his plan, a proud smile crossed the Father's square chin. All the emotions had left him but he had an extra emotion that he himself created - 'Love for his children'. His master plan was progressing better now and it seemed Wrath was doing well.

Wrath would've felt proud right now,if he could.

Gluttony didn't say anything. He was sad. He wanted that girl. Girls were his favorite desserts...

As Riza walked out with her friend, Roy gave a sad sigh and rested his chin on his both hands. Suddenly something caught his eye. It was a piece of paper. It wasn't there even a few minutes ago. Roy took the paper and started to read what was written there. 'Dorchatte Olivia Nina Orchid Tyla Lee Ethan Alex Valencia Emily Harry Quil'. The handwriting was uneven and looked like it was written in a hurry. But Roy recognized whose handwriting it was. It was Riza's for sure. And he remembered all the names quite well too. They all were military officers. But why the hell would she write their names on a piece of paper? Roy knew that there must be a reason. It probably was a secret message. Roy and Riza were pretty good in this kind of secret messaging. They sometimes did it for fun. Roy wasn't sure if that day's message was a fun message. But she wrote it in a hurry and so Roy started decrypting it in the easiest way. He started with the first letters of each name and what he found out stood like this-'DONOTLEAVEHQ'. And momentarily Roy knew that it wasn't a fun message as he suspected earlier. She never made this kind of fun. She was in a hurry and she tried to give him a warning-'Do Not Leave HQ'! Something was wrong and Roy understood that. He had seen what Riza wanted him to see. Roy didn't know that even while leaving the HQ, Riza was wishing him to see this certain piece of paper.

He didn't waste a moment and walked out of the room. Before that he called Vanessa and told her that he was busy with an urgent meeting and couldn't take her to the date he had promised.

Roy went to check whether Riza was still there though he knew that she had already left. His intuition had been telling him something was wrong. Maybe that friend of hers was a bad guy. But if Riza knew that,why would she leave with him and seem so happy? Still Roy wanted to check if everything was alright because Roy knew very well that Riza would never write something like that unless something was really really wrong. So,he needed to think of something soon. But he wasn't sure if he would be able to come up with a good solution because he only knew something was wrong but he didn't know exactly what was wrong. So, finally he returned to his office and took the phone receiver.

Sheska was reading a book in her office cum the library as she had no work to do. Then the library phone rang. She took the receiver and said,'Central Library,how may I help you?'

'Sheska! It's Colonel Mustang speaking. I need your help.'

It wasn't the first time Colonel Mustang sought her help. And she was happy to help that man, he was generous. So,Sheska merrily replied,'Of course. How may I help you Colonel?'

'I need you to find out the list of the snipers who took part in the Ishval war. And please send it to me immediately. Can you do it?'

It was a small task for Sheska. 'Of course. Give me a few minutes and I'm sending you a copy.'

'Thanks. I owe you.',Roy's voice sounded grateful.

'Oh,it's nothing Colonel. Take care',and she put the receiver down. 'Who knows what he is looking for!',Sheska thought as she started to look for the document in the Ishval history shelf.

'Ah,there it is!' Sheska pulled out the file and cleared the thin lair of dust covering it. She started leafing through the pages and stopped when she finally found the list of the snipers. She took out the page and went to fax it...Roy Mustang was waiting eagerly as he continuously glanced at the fax machine in his office.

[** I don't know if Amestris has invented any fax machine yet :P]

The fax machine beeped twice and Roy jumped off his chair. He snatched the paper that just came out from the machine and returned to his chair.

A,B,C...K...he started reading all the names that started with a K. 'Here it is!',Roy finally found the name and he started reading the description and what he read, made his blood turn cold.

Roy's head was buzzing. 'What the heck is this?'

After a few moments, Roy finally gained control over himself and started to think clearly. He needed to find a photo of Ken Benner. But he wondered if Riza couldn't recognize this guy as a fake then obviously his search would come up with the same result. Which meant this guy actually looked like the real Ken and that could mean only one thing - Riza was walking down the street with a very dangerous man. 'Not a man, a creature',Roy corrected himself angrily. Because he had a very good idea about who that chameleon was. There was only one creature that could disguise himself so perfectly - a Homunculus named Envy. But still, his journey in military taught him something very well-never stop looking for information. So,he again picked up the phone and dialed the same number that he had dialed earlier.

'Sheska, it's Mustang. Sorry to bother you again. Could you please look up in the Ishval directory and send me a photo of a sniper named Ken Benner?'

'A photo? Okay,if you want.' Sheska replied. 'Who knows what the Colonel is doing!', she told herself.

Roy thanked her as he hung up the phone. Then once again he started to stare at the fax machine.

Two or three minutes passed. Roy started to get impatient. Just then the machine beeped. And he snatched the photo that came out. The fear that swept over his spine was unimaginable.

'I have to do something. Sorry, Riza, I can't keep your request. I can't remain in the HQ. I can't let you leave me like this.',Roy was determined. No matter what, he wouldn't let her leave him. Because now he realized what that feeling was. What was keeping him awake through the nights. Why it always hurt so much. He knew all the answers now. He was in love,with a very special woman.


	5. Chapter 5

[Sorry for the late update. I was a bit sick and so I couldn't work on this chapter. But now it's up. Review plz]

Now Roy knew the only answer of many questions that he was seeking for such a long time. The answer was simple – he loved her. But the answer didn't simplify anything. It made everything more complicated for him now. Because now he knew that he had to save her anyhow not because she was a precious subordinate but because she had become more important to him than life itself. 'Now I have more reasons to live'. He was ready for any struggle. But he needed to approach systematically. He took his overcoat and came out of his office room.

'Havoc, where's Falman,Breda and Fuery? I have something urgent to discuss with you.' Roy told Havoc as they met in the shooting ground.

They both came out and found out the other three. Roy was seeking for a private place. He found one.

'Did you guys see the man that had come today to meet Riza?' Roy whispered. They all nodded.

Roy took a long breath and started telling them everything. When he finished he saw that the others faces had turned white.

'What's the plan,sir?',Breda asked finally.

'I have no idea where they might have gone. But Riza said she was going to show the guy the city around. So they are here somewhere and we need to find out where. To do that in a short time,I think I need some outer help too.'

It seemed the Colonel was gonna continue and so,nobody spoke. 'The objective is simple. Save Riza and find out what that guy wants from her. Do you follow?' Roy's eyes were blazing as the fire inside him could be seen through his eyes.

'Yes sir!' The subordinates replied.

'Another order --- Do not die'. The others nodded.

* * * * *

The banner outside the place read 'Madame Christmas Bar'. Nobody knew that Lady Christmas was actually Roy's aunt. Everyone thought Roy used to come here to have fun. But in actual Madame Christmas was an intelligent lady herself and provided Roy a lot of important information. The girls who worked here,kept the lady up-to-date.

Roy opened the front door and entered the bar. Havoc and Falman followed him while Breda stood outside as a guard. A lot of girl came running as they saw the handsome Colonel. But Roy simply ignored them. The girls were disheartened and stood aside.

'Ah, Roy boy, long time no see!', Madame Christmas exclaimed. Roy put a hand on the desk and brought his mouth near the lady's ear. He spoke quietly for a moment and when he finished talking, the lady seemed really shocked. 'Looks like the enemies have found out your weak spot', she finally said.

Now it was Roy's turn to be shocked. 'What do you mean?', he asked innocently. The old lady smiled. 'These eyes of mine are old, they see what the young eyes don't see. They can see through the heart. And I saw through yours a long time ago Roy boy.', she whispered. Roy was utterly surprised. This lady wasn't serious,was she? Roy himself couldn't understand his own feelings and she claimed that she had understood a long time ago!!! For the first time Roy felt like he was blushing, somehow he was feeling younger!

'What's with Colonel? Why does he have such a weird expression on his face?, Havoc and Falman wondered.

'I'll let you know when I find any information.',Madame Christmas waved her hands.

'Thank you. Try to be quick.', his eyes were pleading.

'I know.', the lady said as softly as possible,softness wasn't a specialty for an iron lady like her. Then she moved towards the girls who were standing there and ushered them. 'I have work for you to do. Urgent.' They understood that it was a work for their precious Colonel and they would do it wholeheartedly.

* * * * *

Roy came out of the bar and the other two followed him. Breda was standing by putting his weight on a lamp post, as he saw the others, he straightened.

Nobody talked. The subordinates silently waited for their boss' instructions. 'I know it's like looking for a pin in a haystack,but we have to try in every possible way. We can't take any risk at all. If it takes us to look in every nook and corner of this city,then be it. But we have to save her at any cost. Understand?' Roy looked at the faces of his subordinates. Havoc grinned,'I wonder how such a softhearted man like you made it all the way to the military.'

* * * * *

Breda and Fuery went together while Falman and Havoc made another group. Roy decided to handle his way alone. The city wasn't very big,that was a good thing for them. So,if any of them noticed Riza or the Ken guy,the others would be able to join them immediately. Each group had a device created by Fuery which could be used in distant communication. They had never used it before but they trusted in the young man's talent. Moreover it was the only way that they could get any information from Lady Christmas whose gang was doing the same thing as the ''Mustang's Boys''.

Roy was good in focusing. His focus was firm---save Riza. Still he couldn't help getting anxious. He continuously told himself-----'She won't leave me,she has promised to be by my side always. She can't leave me alone. She can't.....'

* * * * *

There was no sign of Riza. Roy started to get impatient. The others hadn't found any clue yet too. He had contacted them. His fear started to rise. It had been almost 3 hours that they had begun their search. Suddenly the device in Roy's pocket beeped. It was the communicator that Fuery had given them. His hand trembled as he picked it up and touched it to his left ear.

'Colonel Mustang speaking',he said,trying not to express his anxiety.

'Roy boy,seems like the girl is found. She is with a guy with bronze colored hair and was located in Marcos street. Angelina saw her. She's still there.',Madame Christmas said.

Roy's heart suddenly felt lighter. A very big pressure was lifted from his chest. She was safe.

Roy didn't waste a moment and informed the others to meet up.

* * * * *

Riza looked at the guy sitting in front of him. The exact same feature. It really could be Ken,but it wasn't. Riza was a good observer and she noticed that this guy had a very relaxed way of talking. But to her misfortune,he hadn't spilled anything that could help her. The only thing that hit her was that he had said that his meeting with Riza was very important. Riza was very careful as she talked. She tried to act as friendly as possible and also remembered not to bring any topic related to her own work. But she kept trying to gather information. Suddenly Riza noticed a girl standing in the other side of the road and looking at her. The face looked familiar. Riza searched her memory and with a shock realized that the girl worked in the bar of Madame Christmas. She had seen this girl when she went to the bar with the Colonel. 'He knows!'

The man sitting with Riza noticed the sudden impatience in her and felt that it was time....

'Let's stop this,shall we?',he stood up and asked.

Riza felt like her heart had stopped. The devilish smile that crossed the guy's face covered the friendly feature and Riza started to feel that she had seen this smile before. She felt an urge to flee. Then she remembered. To her horror she now realized whose smile this was. But she was late. The person changed and a hand suddenly covered her mouth,the hand was holding something which smelled sweet and she started to feel out of breath. She was such a fool. She should have understood who could be so good at impersonating someone else......Then she saw someone with black hair,black eyes,white gloves,blue dress and black overcoat---such an elegant person that was! She thought she was hallucinating. May be it was death. If it was,it was not that bad. And her eyes closed slowly.....

* * * * *


	6. Chapter 6

Roy's heart was racing faster than ever as he ran down the narrow street. There she was. So close,still so distant. Her eyes were mid open. He had seen Envy put a small piece of cloth on her mouth for a few seconds. Probably it was chloroform-Roy thought. Havoc,Falman,Breda and Fuery weren't still here. He had told them to meet up but he himself couldn't wait anymore and rushed here, although they knew where he was going and where the subject was. He was now very near- a few feet and there that monster was. Envy heard the rushing footsteps and turned around to see the Flame Alchemist come running.

'Holy crap! I was so busy with this one that I didn't even notice the Flame guy coming. Oh,now what?',Envy surely didn't plan to meet Roy so early,before he could even hide the Hawkeye girl.

Roy stopped,panting. He took long,deep breath. 'I think you're meddling with my business. What do you want?',he didn't have time to play around and came to business right away.

Envy gave a Envy-ish smile of his and said,'Now,now,the Flame Alchemist seems very agitated. Wrath was right about taking the girl hostage.'

Anger bubbled up in Roy's blood. 'Do you think you can get away with this? You'll just burn to death like that Lust creature. Have you forgotten that already?'

'You wouldn't want to see this girl burn with me too,would you?',Envy smirked and continued,'You'll need to burn me quite a number of times before I die but I think this girl would survive a lot less than that,neh?'

Roy suddenly started to feel helpless as he realized that Envy was right. Envy was holding Riza and if Roy tried to burn Envy,the fire would surely touch Riza too. But he couldn't let this guy get away,never! He needed to take Envy a little far from Riza,two feet or so at least. But how? Moreover, he knew very well that he could never express his helplessness. He had to act firm and also think of something very soon. He gave a fake grin and said,'I'll ask just one more time – What do you want?'

Roy didn't know that Envy was acting too. He wasn't so sure that he would be able to escape so easily. Because this girl was the bait and if he had to use this girl as cover,the girl would die and the Colonel would make sure that he (Envy) died too. Even if he managed to escape,that wouldn't establish anything if the girl wasn't alive. Because then their whole plan would fail. The only way that was left was to act confident and manage to escape with the girl,anyhow. 'All was Wrath's fault'-Envy thought. Because Wrath had told him to chitchat with the girl for some time so that they might be able to gather some information. The girl didn't even say a word that would help! This sudden problem wouldn't have occurred if the girl was taken captive right away. 'How come the Colonel came to know about all this? Dammit! Wrath seemed so sure that no one would suspect anything!'...Random thoughts engulfed Envy's mind. He didn't have much life left,only ten death or so and then he would return to his real form about which he didn't want to think,it was so pitiful! There was no way that he would reveal himself in front of this single pitiful human.

Time was passing by...

Roy had noticed that Envy was lost in his thoughts. The guy was too concerned about himself. Roy didn't let this chance be misused. A few moments ago Havoc and Falman had arrived in the other end of the street. They both saw the Colonel and the Homunculus holding Lieutenant Hawkeye. Roy sent a signal by his eye and pointed them to attack silently from behind. 'This guy is pretty careless',Roy thought. Because Envy didn't even notice that Havoc and Falman were standing right behind him now.

'Wait a minute,why isn't the Colonel saying something?' Envy was finally brought back from his thoughts. But it was already too late. The moment he looked up at the Colonel,his hand loosened for a moment and suddenly someone yanked the girl from his hand. 'Shit,who was that?' Envy reflexively looked back and suddenly a crucial pain swept over his whole body as the strong flames of Roy Mustang didn't hesitate to show its grand power.

'Time to die, you monster!', Roy bellowed.

Envy tried to look around him. The girl was taken far from him by a man and another man was standing beside them with gun in his hand. Two other figures were also approaching soon. 'Aghhh...',Envy cried out in pain as once again death embraced him in the form of flame. 'I have to do something soon', Envy became really really desperate and by all his energy he tried to throw himself upon Roy.

The sound of the bullet echoed in the narrow street for a few moments. And the hissing sound of the Flame burning through the newly produced flesh of Envy followed that sound. The amount of Carbon Di Oxide was increasing in the air as burning flesh ended up in free carbon. Roy surely knew that and said,'Havoc,take lieutenant to the car and try to wake her up.'

'Yes,sir!',Havoc followed.

'Fuery and Breda go too.',Roy said to the newly arrived persons as he created new flames.'Falman,stand at the end of the street.'

They tried to protest but Roy bellowed,'It's an order. Go!'

They followed their boss' instructions obediently but they were tensed about the Colonel's safety. The homunculus had enormous regenerating power. Before coming,Havoc had given his gun to the Colonel. Roy hadn't rejected it,though he hated guns.

'This place is way too cramped. The air flow is not sufficient. I can feel the Oxygen level decreasing and the Carbon Di Oxide increasing. This will weaken my flames. But I have to finish this guy off anyhow.',Roy thought. He could never let this guy get away and try to harm his dear ones. This guy had to pay for his deeds.

Envy felt that the flames were not hurting that much now as it did before. He had only two or three lives left in him. But he didn't have much idea why the flames weakened. He wanted to take the chance and forced himself to attack the Colonel. 'You think,I'm weak,don't you? You're wrong!',Envy hissed as he again tried to throw himself upon Roy. But Roy was quicker. He had suddenly noticed the place where this guy had been sitting with Riza earlier. They weren't there for much time because Angelina saw them arrive here. Surely this place was abandoned and Riza should have noticed that. But that could be handled later. What attracted his attention now was the place where they were sitting. It seemed like it was a shop which was situated in a narrower corner of this really narrow street. And the water supplying pipe could be seen from the outside. Roy didn't waste a moment and created another flame that would immobilize Envy for a minute and burned the outer shell of the pipe. It burned a lot of Oxygen and Roy started to feel a bit dizzy as the amount of Carbon Di Oxide was increasing every moment. 'This is gonna end soon.',Roy thought. He took up the gun that Havoc had left and aimed at Envy. He pulled the trigger and Envy was pushed almost two feet backward. 'This guy is also out of energy ,maybe the lack of oxygen is affecting his power too.' Roy pulled the trigger once again and Envy fell back. Roy knew very well that he was risking his own life but he was ready to take the risk. He quickly drew a transmutation circle on the dust of the narrow road and decomposed water into Hydrogen and Oxygen. 'This trick worked very well against that Homunculus named Lust you know',he smirked at Envy. Envy was at very bad state, still Roy felt like the guy was afraid though he didn't know that Envy could never be afraid,jealousy was all that he felt. And then Roy started running as he created a spark by clicking his fingers together and amplified them into a great huge fire. Hydrogen was a highly flammable element. The blast threw him off the road too. He hit hard into something. And slowly he slipped into oblivion.

Roy slowly opened his eyes. An angel was looking down at him. 'Am I dead?', he thought.

The angel gave a sigh of relief. 'At last you're awake. Thank you for saving me Colonel'

'The angel spoke?',Roy thought. Then memories started to come back. He remembered something and suddenly said,'Envy! Is he dead?' he tried to look around.

'Look at him.',Havoc was grinning as he held out a tiny worm like thing in his fingers.

'Don't look at me you filthy humans. Don't you dare!',the creature screamed.

Roy was really astonished. Was this thing really Envy,the homunculus who tried to take Riza away? He tried to reach up and have a proper look but he felt a crucial pain as he did so. 'Ouch!',he groaned.

'You're injured. Don't strain yourself Colonel!',Riza's face was concerned. 'You've hit your head pretty hard but the fire couldn't harm you much, thank goodness.'

Roy now looked at her intently. She seemed alright. Still he asked,'Are you alright?'

'You should be concerned about yourself you know!',she mocked anger.

'I got your message. You knew this guy was faking your friend.',it wasn't a question but a statement because Roy became sure when he had seen this place that Riza knew this guy wasn't the real Ken.

'I'm sorry. But I didn't want him to harm...',Riza didn't continue the sentence.

'Yes?' Roy wanted to hear the rest. The others were just watching these two,a shocked expression hanging on their faces. 'Lieutenant Hawkeye knew?',they all were thinking the same thing.

'Well,it's my duty to watch your back and as this guy was impersonating my friend,I thought I could gather some information from him about why he was doing this. Because I had an idea that he was wanting to harm you!',Riza blurted out everything.

Roy was really astonished but he didn't wait to reply,'And you didn't think about yourself?You could have died! What's the meaning of me being alive if I don't have you beside me?'

Riza was dumbstruck,so were the others. Did they hear it right?

No one said anything. Roy suddenly started to feel shy. He shouldn't have said something like this in front of his subordinates.

'May I ask you something?'Riza said. She didn't add the word 'sir',which rang in the ears of others pretty well.

Roy just cocked his head. Riza breathed,'You feel like that too? About me?'. Her voice was trembling with multiple emotions.

Roy noted the 'too' word and whispered,'You mean you did all this for me because you didn't want me to die? I mean more than your life to you? Like you do to me?'

Riza didn't reply but looked in his deep black eyes. Roy could see the drop of tear shining in her butterscotch eyes like star and to his relief he knew what the answer was. He felt happy like never before. At last the others understood why these two's relation was always so deep and full of care. They had loved each other all along! Havoc said,'Well,now I see why Colonel didn't want us to finish off Envy. He wanted to rescue his princess by himself and take the credit!'

'What did you say?',Roy tried to chase Havoc but ended up hurting himself again,but it didn't feel that bad as two caring hands were now caressing him. He didn't want to be parted from her ever...

Roy had started living with Riza. They were happy together. Havoc,Falman,Fuery and Breda secretly call them Royai. Roy knew that and secretly felt happy. It made him feel that they were not to be parted. Roy also knew that the end of Envy wasn't the end of evil.[ Envy had eventually committed suicide by destroying his own core as remaining captive in that form was too shameful for him.] Roy knew very well that there was greater force that was very evil. But he also knew that good always won in the long run and he also believed that he could overcome any obstacle as long as he had her by his side.

The unsolved mystery was now revealed. It was eternal. The solution was simple but powerful - love.

Love really is a blessing,the greatest force of all that connects human souls which is not even possible by alchemy. The world is beautiful,love just makes it seem more beautiful. So,why don't we all try to live happily with love in our heart?


End file.
